


Purified: Land of Origin

by cmar8787



Series: Purified Series [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl & Platinum | Pokemon Diamond Pearl Platinum Versions
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Magic, Eventual Relationships, Fantasy, Gen, Quests, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:01:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26243827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cmar8787/pseuds/cmar8787
Summary: Continuing on from Purified: Lost Light, Tabitha and Floyd travel south in Sinnoh, the First Land molded by Arceus. But, having been key components in Snowpoint's liberation, there are many who few the two of them as nothing but trouble, obstacles to be removed. Follow them, their allies, and their enemies, as they try their hardest to reach Sandgem Town, one step at a time.
Series: Purified Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906414
Kudos: 1





	1. Greetings

Hello, and welcome to Book Two of the Purified series! If you're new to the series, you'll want to visit my profile and read through Book One if you're interested in moving forwards.

As I did last time, a few words of warning.

1: The majority of the entire cast will be OC, or, Original Characters. This is not to say that there will not be cameos or even significant parts that deal with characters from the Pokemon universe, but do not expect the titular character to be Ash, for example.

2: Every story that follows this timeline will contain coarse language, violence, sexual innuendos, situations, and other things that may not be commonplace in a Pokemon story. Reader discretion is advised, though there will be nothing on the level of, say, extreme, visceral gore or madness. Rated M scenes will be written and posted separately, so you have the option of skipping through them if that's not your cup of tea.

3: There will be many, many references to other material throughout the stories. As I have said in my bio, if you think it's a reference…it's probably a reference. Some won't be so thinly veiled, others will require a degree of nerdiness to understand. Hopefully I encompass both of those spheres well.

4: While it does take place in the Pokemon universe mainly, there will be heavy references to other material as part of the world. This includes magic, technologies, language, etc. While on the subject, if there is any subject matter you'd like to see incorporated into the story, please leave a review or a PM and know there is always the possibility, no matter how out there it might seem.

Lastly, I'd ask that even if you enjoyed or hated a chapter that you leave a review. I'm always open to criticism, and suggestions for future material wouldn't be so bad either. At the end of each chapter, I'll try to address some of the most pressing reviews in the review section, but don't worry if your review isn't featured. I read them all guys. Promise.

Okay, everything looks good. Book Two starts the moment you click next chapter.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue  
**

Far from the bitter cold days and nights of Northern Sinnoh, yet equally far from the boiling and blistering days and nights of Southern Sinnoh, lay Michina Town in the center of the Sinnoh region. Past the craggy surfaces and rock faces of Mount Coronet, through the blooming fields of flowers in which Shaymin made their nests for the Gracidea Festival in Floaroma, the town lay nestled in a flourishing bloom of wildlife and greenery. Pokemon and humans alike shared the wonderful town, and whether they knew it or not, thanked Arceus for every day they were blessed to share the sunlight with each other. At the base of the aptly named Michina Mountain was a shrine to the Alpha Pokemon, a place considered so holy that pilgrims frequented it from all over the world in search of spiritual reclamation.

But inside, in the Michina Ruins far below the surface…

_Ching. Ching. Ching._

"Huh?" The man known as Ruin Guardian Kevin rose from his day's work. The ruins were set to be restored and slightly opened to the public to raise money for further repairs.

But that sound…the last time he'd heard that sound…

They might need a whole lot more tourism dollars if he was hearing what he thought he was hearing.

"Sheena!" Kevin called, racing over to the Time-Space Axis. It was a giant contraption made of a strange metal no one had ever been able to identify, multiple globes flitting about each other silently…for the most part anyways.

As of right now, the center globe was making noise.

The two above it, both the giant sapphire and the pearl, represented Time and Space, Dialga and Palkia. Below was their physical world that they shared in with Pokemon, supported by the Reverse World.

In the center was Arceus' realm, and it was pulsating.

Sheena rushed into the room behind him, her blue eyes wide with worry. "What's wrong?" She did a double take as she noticed what it was he was staring at. "Oh no…"

"The last time this happened," Kevin started, "it wasn't a pretty sight by any means."

"But why would it be returning now?" Sheena asked. "We gave the Jewel back to Arceus, there's no reason for it to begin waking up again…unless…"

Kevin nodded with a tight grimace. "Unless something is disturbing its rest. But what?"

The globe chimed again, an ominous tone that spoke of hardships in the days to come. The sound clanged through the silence of the workshop of the undercroft three times before going silent completely, the globes lapsing into stillness.

"What do we do?" Sheena asked.

"We wait," Kevin said, turning to his wife, "and we hope that this time, we can figure out what Arceus wants without our town getting leveled."

Even as he said that, Kevin couldn't help but be doubtful of himself…and of their chances of survival.

But what was it? What, in this large, nigh-infinite universe of possibilities, could be causing Arceus to rise once more?


	3. Obstacles

**Chapter 1: Obstacles**

Her legs hurt. Her knees ached. Her feet whined.

Hell, her entire body hurt.

Tabitha of Snowpoint was achy. Even worse, she'd be achy for the rest of the day today, and then a few days after that.

She knew that.

But by Arceus, why did it have to be that way?

Nevertheless, she'd signed up for this, so there was no use complaining. However…if no one was going to wake her up, maybe she could snag a little extra sleep. After all, they were so close to their next destination that they could spare a little time.

Say, two or three hours?

Tabby turned over and hugged her pillow in a vice grip, her face sinking into the soft down of the thing. She relished in the quiet of the morning, felt the heat of the sun on her section of the tent.

And as always, she wished that someone was in bed with her, right now. Not to do anything naughty, no. She just wanted a cuddle buddy again. Someone to hug her and kiss her and make her forget about all of the aches of being on the road.

…

Thinking on that, there _was_ one person who fit that bill, wasn't there?

Tabby shook her head. Too much thinking for too early in the morning. She slowed her breathing, closed her eyes, and began to count backwards from 200.

199.

198.

19-

_**BOOM!** _

Tabby sighed with frustration and put the pillow over her head, pressing her face into the mattress itself. 197.

19-

_**BOOM!** _

"Infernape!"

"Stick it to him!"

"Snea!"

Tabby peeled her face off the mattress and managed to convince her tired body to shamble into the sitting room of the tent. The tent, like most things from Snowpoint, was magically enhanced to be much larger on the inside than it was on the outside. But it seemed that the container of the magic space was relative to how much new space you got, because it was hardly bigger than Tabby's room at Sanctuary back home. Nevertheless, it had a few plush couches that sat in front of a coffee table that had been piled high with either extra supplies, maps, brochures, and the like. Beside the sitting room was a small—and an emphasis on _small—_ kitchenette with a cooling chest for all of their perishables and a few cabinets for other foods. There was a stove Tabby could light with her magic or a match…and not much else. She'd been living like this for about a month now on the road.

And she _loved_ it.

The traveling-the-world-in-a-tent part anyways. It was more of a vacation than an actual task, and sometimes she found herself having so much fun, she forgot what she had come on the journey for in the first place. Not that having fun was a bad thing, but she still had to remember what she was here for. The actual physical action of walking the breadth of Sinnoh, however? Well…that left something to be desired.

Her companions made up for that though.

Tabby pulled out one of the tea packets from the cabinets, heated some water in a cup, and stirred her tea as she stepped to the entrance of the tent. Sitting between the two tent flaps was an Absol, just under 3 and a half feet or so, paying heavy attention to the apparent sparring match outside. She was much more unique than most Absol though…or really, most people in general.

Tabby had heard sailors with cleaner mouths.

"Good morning, sunshine," Ren the Absol said without looking back. "Did the fireworks wake you up?"

Tabby smiled and dipped her tea bag in the water. "Something like that. How'd you sleep?"

Ren shrugged, an oddly human motion on her body. "Fine. Like a rock, actually. Can't wait for when we get into the city so I can crash on a real bed."

Tabby snorted. "You and me both, sister."

Ren nodded towards the sparring session. "They've been going at it for a couple minutes now. Onyx is…well, she's actually pretty good. Street scrappy, I suppose. And Blitz is actually putting up a hard fight with her help." Ren grinned. "You might have to patch up your boyfriend a little. You know he never takes it easy."

Tabby felt heat rise to her cheeks that wasn't from the steam. "You're right. Er, about the not taking it easy part. Not the boyfriend part."

Ren tsked. "Get it together, Tabby. I figured you two'dve gotten busy by now."

Tabby tuned out of Ren's friendly—and pinning—insults and watched the other three spar. She saw the short black form of Onyx the Sneasel darting in and out of the melee, claws sheathed but small fists wreathed and rolling with chilly smoke as she struck. Then she focused on Blitz, her own Infernape and lifelong friend, his sides heaving as he pushed himself beyond measure, the pyre atop his head roaring like an uncontrollable bonfire. But even with the fierce expression on his face, Tabby could tell he was just having fun.

The last part of her attention focused on the man fighting them both. Clarence Floyd had caramel colored skin and curly hair, his skin a little darker and hair a bit longer these days from the many cloudless days under the midwestern sunny skies and away from civilization. Every movement of his was flawless and precise, whether it was batting away punches and kicks or returning those of his own. He moved like a well-oiled machine, his dark brown eyes flitting back and forth as his arms and legs seemed to move as different entities.

Her still-waking brain only saw what it wanted to see, however, which was the fact that Floyd was rather tall, rather cut, and very, very shirtless.

Tabby accidentally lost control of her magic for a split second, and steam quite literally gushed from her nose. Ren barked out a laugh, causing Tabby to become even more embarrassed as she watched.

Blitz leapt up into the sky, disappearing into the rising morning sun and reappearing as he hurtled downwards, foot extended into a Blaze Kick. Floyd crossed his arms in an X above his head, catching the heel in the crook of both arms. Onyx darted in and spun like a top in the air, kicking Floyd's wide-open chest once, twice, three times before sending him skidding back in the grass. Teeth grit, Floyd dug his feet into the earth and stopped his momentum as both the Infernape and the Sneasel came at him from both sides, their movements a blur as Floyd fended them off. Fist and foot slammed into one forearm each, the shockwave blowing Tabby's hair out of her face.

"Why aren't you training, Ren?" Tabby asked, trying to focus on something else besides the fact that every motion of Floyd's made the muscles in his back do…interesting things.

"Don't need to," Ren said nonchalantly. "I can kick some ass without getting sweaty in the morning."

"Do Absols sweat?"

"Yes, and you don't want to know how. Heads up."

Tabby blinked, turning back to the sparring session just in time to catch a fireball to the face. For a moment all she could see was fiery orange light, and then she caught her bearings. She took a deep breath and exhaled, blowing the fire away from her. Ren was trying—and failing—to suppress a laugh, and the other three combatants, especially Blitz, looked shocked. The Infernape kicked into a full sprint over to her, his almost-feral expression disappearing as he gave her the big blue eyes. "Nape?"

Tabby laughed and scratched him behind the ears. "You're so _cute!_ I'm fine, don't you worry. It'll take more than a little fireball to hurt me."

"Glad that's the case." Floyd and Onyx approached behind him, both breathing a little hard. "Good morning, Tabby."

"Morning," Tabby said. "You're, ah, working up quite the sweat this early in the morning."

Floyd nodded, grabbing his shirt on the ground and wiping off his face. "I figured it'd be the last time for a while we'd be able to go all out without getting a noise complaint…or with someone thinking I beat up my Pokemon." He looked at Onyx, who was kicking her feet from on his shoulder. "I don't do that, do I girl?" Onyx chittered at him in response and nuzzled his face affectionately.

"My heart's gonna melt," Tabby said, wishing Blitz was a Chimchar so she could pick him up. She resorted instead to picking out the twigs and grass in his fur. "So, what's the plan?"

"Now that you're up, we can get on the road for today," Floyd said. "Er, after I cool down, that is. You're positive we're going to hit the city today?"

"Unless we get lost halfway through the day, then yeah, guaranteed. But we've got a really good map, and Blitz knows his directions, don't you boy?"

"Infernape!" He did a cartwheel, conveniently landing next to Ren, who rolled her eyes.

"If you're going to be leading the way, we're already doomed," Ren said, unimpressed. "Boss, I propose that we fly the rest of the way. It'd be quicker and we'd probably be there before they stop selling breakfast food."

Floyd frowned. "I suppose we could. It would be risky though. Tabby doesn't have a mask for all the way up there, and I fly pretty fast. But if you're up for it…"

"As long as you don't drop me," Tabby teased.

"I'll try my best." He looked off into the distance, their tent set up on the crest of a hill overlooking the sea of trees the south. Over the horizon would be Eterna City, their next checkpoint and destination towards Sandgem Town. "Okay. Let's have every one get a good breakfast, then we'll—"

The rest of his sentence was cut short as the sun seemed to brighten in the sky for a moment. At the same time, a strangled groan spilled from Floyd's lips as he was forcibly brought to his knees, clutching his forehead. A high-pitched whine that sounded like…feedback of sorts pierced the air, causing Tabby to wince and their Pokemon with their much stronger ears to recoil with haste. Ren recovered the quickest and darted over to her trainer, circling him worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Floyd's fingers hooked into claws, disappearing beneath his curls as a vein in his forehead became clearer.

"Tabby, don't just fucking stand there, _heal him!"_

Tabby snapped out of it at Ren's insistence and knelt next to him, placing her hands on his temples and summoning magic. Her natural element since the day she'd been born had been Fire. She could summon her strongest spells, work her greatest feats of magic all within the Fire type. But she hadn't graduated under Nerevor's tutelage with just the knowledge of one type. All trainees had to at least dabble in Normal-type magic, the type mostly associated with healing minor things like cuts and bruises and burns. Tabby channeled Normal-type energy into her hands, glowing with a grayish light as she directed it into the Lightborn's body. Bit by bit, inch by inch, she felt him relax under her touch until finally, he was able to open his eyes.

"I…" He seemed lost for words. "Water. Please."

Onyx dashed off into the tent to get some as Ren stared worriedly at Floyd. "What was that? Are we under attack? Are you okay?"

"I think so, I…" Floyd shook his head, a muscle in his jaw going. "What happened?"

"You were talking about the plan for the day and you collapsed," Tabby said, keeping the flow of magic up just in case. "Maybe you pushed yourself too hard when you were sparring?"

Onyx brought him a tall glass of water, and Floyd rasped his thanks before draining the glass in one pull. "That…that can't be right. They've never done this before, and I've been sparring with Blitz since we left."

"Never done…you mean this isn't new?" Ren asked.

Floyd winced, and Ren verbally pounced on him. "Clarence Floyd, you are the dumbest motherfucker alive! How long!? A week? Two weeks?"

Tabby's eyes narrowed to slits. "Since you beat Olivier, I'm betting."

Floyd sighed.

"Oh my fucking God," Ren muttered. _"WHY_ didn't you tell anyone!?"

"I didn't think they were a big deal," Floyd said. "They came once a week if that at first and I chalked it up to all the work we did trying to restore the city. Then we left and I started getting them more frequently but never…like this. It was just a headache in the morning then it went away."

Tabby sighed. "Okay."

"Wha- _okay?"_ Ren stammered. "This is, like, _lightyears_ from okay! This is the Grand Central Station of _not okay!"_

"I don't know what that means," Tabby said. "But listen. It's clear you've been able to handle it since we left. So…so I'll let you keep chugging along for now."

Floyd nodded. "Thank you."

"But!" Ren chimed in.

"Of course."

"Once we get to Eterna City, you're going to see Nurse Joy, got it! Not a second later, either!"

She and Floyd just stared at each other for a second, their wills clashing against each other's silently. After a few seconds, Floyd relented, his shoulders falling. "Fine. I'll talk to Nurse Joy. Maybe she can do something." He shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. "You have a knack for getting your way, both of you."

"Hmph!" Ren turned her head away from him. "Only because you act like a dumbass."

This time, one of his rare, genuine smiles broke through as he scratched Ren through her thick coat of fur on her chest, her tsundere attitude shattering like glass as she leaned against him and purred.

"That's better," Floyd said. "And you? You agree with this plan?"

"I'd prefer it if you didn't die on me," Tabby said, slugging his arm. "I care about you too, you know."

Floyd nodded. "Alright then."

"Belly rubs, Boss," Ren purred lazily.

"You're spoiled," Floyd said, rolling her onto the ground. "Why don't you make yourself useful and help pack up the camp while I towel off, alright? We'll leave in an hour."

Tabby didn't say anything, but she watched Floyd stand up, and noticed the faint hitch in his step as he did so.

Eterna City couldn't come fast enough.

###

After a not-so-fulfilling breakfast consisting of granola bars and a bit of fresh fruit, Floyd and the others packed up camp and left down south, descending down the forests of the mountain pass. According to Tabby's map, the pass would merge with Route 211 as soon as they saw one of the many branches of the Sinnoh River. As soon as they saw water, all they had to do was follow the river's many bends.

Floyd scratched at the stubble on his face and frowned as he walked. Guilt gnawed at him from the inside, like one of those beaver things he'd seen so many of…Bidoof, they were called. He probably should have told both Tabby and Ren about the headaches long before today.

Because the truth was, he'd had on as strong as that before.

It was never as long as that, usually a brief, yet intense stabbing pain behind his eyes. But it still certainly hurt him a lot, and he'd lain in bed out of commission in the morning it had happened, Ren right next to him.

He had no idea what was causing it. Maybe he was having split-second aneurysms and his healing factor repaired the damage before it could kill him. No, that sounded unlikely. But maybe not impossible?

Floyd shook his head as he batted aside a swaying branch. If he kept overthinking it, maybe his head would just explode. That he didn't need. He had a promise to keep to Ren and to Tabby. He couldn't die before either of those were fulfilled. Strangely, he found himself thinking about Tabby again after that. He hadn't believed Ren when she'd said it, but now only a blind man would be able to ignore the signs Tabby threw his way. They'd been traveling together for a month now, and in that month, Tabby had grown much more confident…as had he.

Smiling, he remembered one such example of the growing confidence from their time trekking south in the flat, snow-covered plains of Route 216. There had been a place called Snowbound Lodge where they'd stopped for a few days to rest before traveling the length of the mountain pass. And of course, in the universe's ever-expanding version of a joke, the lodge had only one room left.

With one bed.

A small bed.

He'd slept with Tabby before, but not voluntarily. Waking up next to her had been peaceful. He'd gone to get up and get ready for the day only for Tabby to grab his arm and pull him back down snuggling against him underneath the warm sheets. They'd stayed like that for a majority of the morning, only leaving after they'd gotten hungry. Rinse and repeat until they left, and they'd had no excuse to do so again since. The tent had separate beds and more than enough space.

But the things they'd said, the looks they'd shared…it had been hard not to advance things. To kiss her.

Though according to Ren, she wouldn't push him away. If anything, she'd draw him in closer.

He forced himself to shake off the pleasant thoughts and focus on the road. Regardless of how much of a powerhouse he and his friends were, walking through Sinnoh was no simple task, especially if one relaxed too much.

But it seemed that maybe some relaxation was finally due.

"Tabby," Floyd said, and the group came to a stop. "That it?"

Tabby stepped to his side and beamed, looking absolutely radiant in the sunlight. "Oh, yes it is. Friends! We're officially halfway through Sinnoh! Welcome to the very first, uh…what's the word for river branches again?"

Ren scoffed. "Tributary?"

"That's it! Tributary! Welcome to the first tributary of the Sinnoh River!"

There was something grand about seeing it with his own eyes. He'd seen many rivers and lakes and oceans back on his own Earth, but the Sinnoh River was different in a way. The water was so pure that he could practically taste its freshness from here, overflowing with livestock. Entire ecosystems swam the length of its crystalline depths, nested along the river banks. The river seemed averagely sized from here, but even as he gazed upon it, an entire flock of bird Pokemon—Starly and Staravia, he thought—swooped out of open air and descended upon the surface, circling large pockets of water and waiting for the bright red Magikarp and the lustrous Goldeen of the river to go leaping up to the surface.

"It says here," Tabby said, checking her map, "that at its narrowest point in this area, it's about a half a mile across." She grinned. "Should be able to freeze us a bridge across."

"I could…" Floyd started.

"No," Tabby and Ren said at once. "You're taking the backseat, Boss. Just like we said."

Tabby nodded. "Don't worry, sweetcheeks. I got this."

Floyd rolled his hand. "Then by all means, lead the way."

They picked their way down one of the final slopes of the mountain pass' lumpy surface, finding themselves in another pocket of towering pine and habitats. Unlike the frigid forests of Snowpoint, the pass was teeming with wildlife, arming Floyd with knowledge of this strange world he was calling home for a while. Butterfree dropped from the trees and flew alongside them for a while, curious at the new visitors. Combee buzzed through the trees escorted by a large Vespiquen back to her nest. The Butterfree accompanied them right up until they found a large clearing of trees dripping with tree sap, a large number of Heracross congregating around it and allowing the Butterfree to eat as well. They didn't attack them, but they did give Floyd and his friends leering glances until they were completely out of sight.

"Lovely people," Ren remarked, sniffing. "Hey…wait a minute!"

She darted off to Floyd's side, the entire group coming to a stop as she disappeared into foliage growing between a couple of trees. The bushes shivered as Ren rummaged around, then came back out covered in tiny sticks and with a branch of ripe, pinkish berries in her mouth.

"They're Pecha Berries," Ren said, dropping them into Floyd's hand. "Try 'em. Maybe it'll cure that headache of yours. They cure poisons, after all. But if anything," she plucked one out of Floyd's hand and ate it, savoring the taste, "they're just _really good."_

They ate a few of the berries as they continued their walk. They were quite good, if not a little bit too sweet. Once everyone had enough, Floyd stored the rest in his pack for later. Curing poison was certainly worth eating alone.

"I think," Ren said after a good few more minutes' walking, "that I hear water."

"Infernape!" Blitz agreed, dropping to all fours.

"Race ya! Come on, ya big lug! Onyx, hop on!"

Onyx hopped aboard Ren's back and the three Pokemon took off to the river's edge, zigzagging through the thinning tree line.

"She's certainly got her energy back," Tabby said with a laugh.

"It's only because we're finally back in civilization, or at least close to it," Floyd said, running a hand through his hair. "I can agree, I guess. I'm tired of sleeping in that tent, comfy as it is. I need a shave. A good one."

Tabby nodded, adjusting her bag. "I need AC. And a nice hot meal. And a warm bed. And a foot rub." She tapped her lips. "Make it a full body massage actually. Wiiiiith a spraydown." She sniffed at her clothes and nearly went as white as a sheet. "Then I'll burn these clothes so I don't kill anyone."

Floyd laughed. "You smell perfectly fine to me." He frowned afterwards. "That might be a bad sign."

Tabby smiled. "I think we've both gone noseblind." They shared another laugh, their pace slowing down as they walked. "Floyd…how are you? Really, I mean."

Floyd grunted. "Without my little problem? Fine. Better than fine, actually. Hopeful. We're halfway there, right?"

Tabby nodded. "Halfway to Sandgem."

"Right," Floyd said. "And once we ask Professor Lucas my questions, we'll go find your father."

Tabby blinked. "What?"

"You said it yourself; we make a good team. And it would be rude not to pay my escort back in kind, wouldn't you say?" Floyd shrugged. "If Lucas gives me the answers I need, it's unlikely the way home is going anywhere. So if you'll have me, I will help you."

"What about Ren?" Tabby asked.

He shrugged again. "Ren can go home if she wants. If the way home is reliably open 24/7, then all the better. But I will come with you."

Tabby stopped, and he did too, watching the brunette shake her head as she stared at him. "You're…you're the strangest man I've ever met."

"I'm flattered."

"No, no, that's a good thing…I think," Tabby finished, clearly puzzled. "It's just…you don't owe me anything anymore. If anything, I owe you _more._ You saved my city, saved my life dozens of times over…I just don't get you. What's driving you. I know what it is. I just don't get it."

"Maybe there isn't anything to get, Tabby."

"Maybe not," Tabby agreed. "Maybe this is just who you were born to be. And that makes you all the more…" She paused, groping for the words. "Interesting," she finished.

"You think I'm interesting?" Floyd asked. The thoughts from earlier picked up with an intensity that shocked even him. He was 28, not 16. But he let it run a tiny bit wild. "Is that all you think of me?"

For a moment, Floyd was sure that tiny bit of relinquished control pushed it. For a moment all he could hear were the various chirps and croaks of the Pokemon in the pass. Tabby wet her lips and stepped forward, closer to him. "I think you're a lot of things, Floyd."

"Such as?"

She took another step forward. "Brave. Stubborn." Floyd snorted. "Loyal. Strong." She paused. "Amazing."

"I seem to remember handsome coming out back in Snowpoint."

One more step. He could feel her hot breath as she stared up at him. "I remember that, too." He felt a hand travel up his own, loosely gripping his fingers. "I am worried about you. Why didn't you tell me about your headaches?"

"I didn't want you to worry," Floyd said. "I don't enjoy worrying you."

Tabby snickered, throwing him a look of disbelief. "Could've fooled me."

Floyd chuckled. "Sorry. But it's true." His other hand took her free one. "Though maybe I should do it more often." Tabby crooked an eyebrow. "Your eyes get big, and you get a little bit of a pout right before you scold me. It's cute."

The look in her eye was nothing short of intoxicating. "Cute?" Tabby asked softly. "You think I'm cute?"

"I think you're a lot of things."

If Tabby was as tall as him, they'd be nose-to-nose. "Such as?"

Floyd drew breath to answer, and was interrupted by what was very clearly Ren shouting, the tromping sounds of urgent feet drawing near.

"Such as out of time," Floyd said, dropping her hands. Tabby was blushing furiously, which did nothing to help his restraint. His own heart was racing, his face so close to her own. If he leaned down…

His courage abandoned him as Ren crashed through the treeline, Onyx still on her back and Blitz following. "Hey, sorry to interrupt…whatever the fuck this is, but we might have a problem."

"Which is?" Floyd asked, the pleasant warmth in his stomach fading at once, replaced by that cold ice he felt before he had to fight.

"It's…complicated, because there's an emphasis on the 'might' for that first part," Ren said. "Come on."

Floyd and Tabby raced after their Pokemon into the trees.

###

Tabby was equal parts furious and glad that their Pokemon had interrupted them. Glad because even though they were obviously noseblind, they had still been traveling on the road for weeks, bathing in creeks and streams, and been mucking around in midwestern heat. Tabby knew there was no way that she could have looked or smelled 100% as of right now.

She was furious because she was certain that her confidence had been about to peak right there. Another few words, another finished sentence, and those delectable lips would have been on her own. She'd never kissed anyone for real before, but she was certainly willing to practice on Floyd.

And she had gotten a glimpse of what it had to feel like. The heat in her core, the fluttering in her stomach…oh man.

The less developed part of her brain, the more primal part, demanded that she stop what she was doing and make Floyd push her against a tree right now. She wanted to see if he would be bold enough to steal a kiss. And then be bold enough to steal another one.

_Bad Tabby,_ she thought. _Very bad, very persuasive horny Tabby._

She shook her head to clear her thoughts as Ren led them through the thin treeline and to the shore. The Disaster Pokemon regained her bearings and sprinted off the way she'd probably came, following the tracks to what seemed to be a small Pokemon Center. There was also a restaurant called the Riverside Goldeen Shack, a restroom, and a few other buildings Tabby had no idea what they were for.

Ren ignored them all and led them to a large billboard on the side of the Pokemon Center for visitors and travelers and anyone passing by to see.

"Oh…" Tabby started.

"Shit," Floyd finished.

Copied and reprinted at least twenty times over were large fliers with location tags cut into the bottom. They read:

**Looking to salvage your soul? Looking for enlightenment? Join the Church of Purification today! Locations below!**

Many of the location tags were taken, and above them, smack in the middle of the flier, was a radiant sun with 18 spokes.

It was the symbol of Arceus, the Lightborn, and the same symbol that Olivier—and whoever had been pulling her strings—had used on the armor of her immortal Cleansers.

Ren sighed and Tabby practically watched the coy part of Floyd melt away into nothingness.

Fan.

Tastic.

**A/N: First chapter done! This one went through a lot of rewrites to set the tone for the story. As always, read and review, and if you haven't yet (for whatever reason) go give the first Book some love too! Thanks, and see you next update.**


	4. History Living

**Chapter 2: History Living**

Disturbing the relative peace and quiet of the riverbed, Tabby flared her hands outwards towards the Sinnoh River, a sheen of frost covering the water's surface at once. It hardened and crackled as the liquid turned to ice a couple of inches thick, just enough for them to walk on. Ren didn't trust it in the slightest, but she trusted Tabby, so that had to count for something. She elected to go first, hardening and creating more ice as she walked. Everyone else followed behind her, Blitz back in his Pokeball lest he melt her good work. Half a mile was a bit of a long walk considering they could slip off the edge and drown, so the slowness of the walk gave Ren plenty of time to think about their next move.

The chances of a cult popping up three months after Olivier kicked the bucket back up north were astronomically low. There was no way it was a coincidence, not this late in the game. Damn that stubborn fool Floyd. If they hadn't stuck around, they wouldn't have been in this mess to begin with. Olivier probably wouldn't have batted one rotten eyelash if they had up and left the moment they'd gotten the car into somewhat of a functioning order. Still, what was done was done, and there was no point complaining about it now. What they should have been doing was thinking on what was going to come next. They knew that Olivier likely had powerful friends—after all, it's not everyday you become a dictator of an an entire region of a continent—but if this was deeper than that, deeper than a few friends and more like an entire legion lurking in their shadows…well, that could be a problem.

The _other_ problem was in their little group right now, walking together awkwardly.

To Tabby's credit, it looked as though she was really coming into her own with the whole flirting thing. They'd been very, very close when Ren and the others had burst through the trees, and both of them had been blushing, staring into each other's eyes, dreaming of the three kids and the house they'd have together already.

Yeah, Tabby was already off the deep end for Floyd. As for him…well, he was getting ready to dive off.

That was for sure going to get somebody killed.

When Tabby had said she'd never had anyone before, Ren had figured she meant in the physical, baby-making sense. Of course, that was likely true, but it seemed Tabby was gunning for…more than that. It hadn't all been sarcasm when she'd said she was surprised the two of them hadn't gotten around to it yet. She didn't quite understand human-human relationships. She certainly understood love and closeness, but if the end goal was just to breed like Pokemon did, why all the subterfuge?

Ren grunted. All of the sentimental mumbo-jumbo of the human race frequently made her head hurt trying to make sense of it all. Regardless, Floyd and Tabby were going moony-eyed for each other. No use trying to stop it now. All she could do was keep her head on straight, and ignore the ten passes a day that Blitz threw her way whenever he got.

"Ren." She blinked and looked up, Floyd looking down at her. "You alright? I can almost see the smoke coming out of your ears."

Ren sighed. "I'm fine. One supposes that walking the breadth of a fuckin' continent doesn't sit well with my poor feet."

Floyd chuckled. "I didn't know you were so soft, Ren. Maybe I'm not the one who needs a checkup."

"Meh, I'll be fine. Just as long as we don't get cut down the second we get into the city."

His smile faded. "What's your take on that?"

Ren shrugged. "We have enemies. When is that not the case?"

"True, but that's usually because the enemies know our name, skill level, and aura. These enemies might have been around since before we got here. Likely so, if Olivier's armory meant anything." He put a hand against his jaw, rasping against the stubble there. He really needed a shave. "Hopefully it won't be too big a deal. If we can get to Sandgem without stepping into another war, that'd be great."

Ren smirked. "It's about time we agree on something."

They shared a short laugh as they caught up with Tabby, Onyx sitting on her shoulder and directing Ice energy into her. Another few minutes of slow walking had them across the river, and Tabby sat down a little hard in the shade of a pine tree, making a chopping gesture. With a crackling roar, the massive bridge of ice broke apart and immediately began to melt away, leaving a school of annoyed Goldeen in its wake.

"You alright?" Floyd asked. Ren noted the tender hand he placed on her shoulder.

Tabby smiled up at him, and placed her hand atop his. "I'm good, thanks. Just, uh, never used that much ice and held it in place before. But I've gotten stronger the past couple of months."

"We all have," Floyd said. "Think you're strong enough to make it to Eterna now?"

"Positive." Floyd gripped her hand and pulled her to her feet. Onyx hopped atop Floyd's shoulder again and they continued up the slope and away from the river's edge. The landscape quickly changed again, from a forested plain to the rocky and dry soil of a land nearing one of Mount Coronet's entrances. It loomed over them far in the distance, like a colossal fist of earth jutting from the planet's core. Once again, they descended down a very steep slope, numerous rocks and loose soil making it harder to descend for mostly Tabby. Floyd simply leapt down the slope, his legs absorbing the impact and allowing him to catch anyone who lost their footing. Ren made it down perfectly, as she expected, but Tabby did not, still a little ill-footed after that show of magic. She slid down the slope, wildly flailing all limbs until Floyd caught her beneath her arms.

Once again, Tabby went doe-eyed as he let her down, flashing him a grin and a slug to the arm as she did so.

"Infernape?" Blitz came down behind her as their trainers walked on, leaving it up to them to catch up.

"Oh, yes they are," Ren said. "It's bad, doc. The worst I've ever seen."

"…Fernape?"

Ren rolled her eyes. "The _horny._ It's worse than when you hit on _me,_ and that's saying something."

Blitz pouted, steam gushing out of his nose.

"Oh, quit being such a manchild." Ren gave him a leering once-over. "Even if you were my type, you couldn't afford me." She examined one of her claws, which were dirty from the long trek in the wilderness. "I'm not like most other Pokemon. I'm a classy lady; I like being spoiled."

Blitz snorted.

"Something worthwhile to say back there?" Ren drawled. "No? Didn't think so. Come."

Blitz grumbled and followed alongside Ren, catching up with their trainers who had stopped a short distance away, staring off at the landscape.

"What's going on?" Ren asked.

"I think," Tabby said, shading her eyes with her hands, "that we're here."

Ren squinted. They stood looking over a vast valley, the last part of the multiple hills, ledges, and inclines of the rugged terrain. Her eyes, stronger than even most Pokemon given her lineage, were able to make out the gaping cave entrance that drilled into the side of one of Coronet's many small mountain ranges. Past that was a grassy field that somehow flourished despite the earthy soil of the region. Multitudes of trainers milled around in the tall grass, searching for a new addition to the team or sitting on the edge near of the valley and staring down at the river that ran below them.

Past all of that was Eterna City.

She couldn't make out much from this distance, but she could tell that it was definitely a city. Surprisingly not nearly as big as Snowpoint, Ren could only make out one or two rather tall buildings from this distance, and it didn't quite give off the air of metropolism she got from Snowpoint, or even better, California.

And yet…she was okay with that.

If there were humans living there, that meant there would be tourism. And with tourism came hotels. Hotels with soft beds and air conditioning and hot buffet breakfast, all _three_ of which she hadn't had the liberty of…well, having in a very, _very_ long time.

"So then what the fuck are we waiting for, let's go!" Ren shouted.

"Hold up." Ren glanced up at Tabby, who was frowning at the valley. "Is that…I think it _is._ Oh, damn it all."

"What is it?" Floyd asked.

"The worst type of people known to mankind," Tabby groaned. "Eager Pokemon Trainers."

Ren blinked. "And…that means what exactly?"

Tabby sighed. "It's best if you see for yourself. Come on."

They descended down the hill and rounded the corner to the large grassy plain. Sure enough, not five minutes passed before two kids, barely even old enough to put the word puberty in their vocabulary, approached them. "Hey! You guys look tough! We wanna challenge Gardenia, so we'll warm our Pokemon up on you!"

"Uh, no," Ren said, dropping all pretenses of not letting strangers see a talking Absol.

The kids' jaws dropped, looking from her to Tabby and Floyd, then back to her. "You…are…how…?"

"She does that," Floyd said bluntly. "Look kids, we're in sort of a hurry, so we can't really stop for Pokemon battles right now, okay?"

"But you can't deny a challenge!" one of the kids said.

"Why the fuck not?" Ren asked.

"Ren."

She sighed. "Sorry. Why the hell not?"

"Because you…you just can't!"

Ren sighed. "Okay. Let's see it. Send them out."

The first kid released a Pidgey that looked like it had hatched from the egg not five minutes ago. The other at least released a Staravia, which stretched its wings and looked ready for a fight, studying her.

"Permission to fight this one my way, Boss?"

Floyd sighed. "Fine. Go ahead. But go easy, please?"

Ren shrugged. "Yo, Blitz. Help me out?" Blitz stepped to her side, his flame crackling as he contemplated the foes in front of him.

"Alright!" the first kid shouted. "My Pidgey might not be as strong as most Pokemon, but as long as we're a team, we can do anything!"

"Pidgey!" the Pidgey shouted eagerly, flapping his wings.

"Yeah, same for us Staravia!" the second shouted.

"Ravia!"

"Okay, you two!" the two children shouted. "Wing Atta—"

_Slash. Thump._

Pidgey and Staravia dropped to the ground, not moving in the slightest.

Ren let out a breath as the last of the Night Slash faded from her horn. "I promise they're not dead, honestly. But they're gonna have a hell of an everything-ache when they wake up." She nodded pointedly, glancing at their "opponents". "Good work Blitz."

Blitz shook his fist a little, his tail lashing as the Fire Punch fizzled out died out. "Fernape!"

Floyd scratched the back of his head nervously. "Sorry guys, but we really just want to get to Eterna and rest and they're crying. They're crying."

The sight of two little boys bawling their eyes out did little more than furiously annoy Ren and make everyone else more than a little uncomfortable. So, like good citizens, they left two small, crying children crying in the grassy field as they powerwalked away and into the city.

"That wasn't a very nice thing to do," Tabby muttered, glancing back over her shoulder.

"Ah, shut up," Ren said over her shoulder. "We're too damn close to a hotel to be worrying about some kid's feelings getting hurt. And with Pokemon like that? That's not the last time they'll be crying like that, lemme tell ya. C'mon."

Ren was sure Eterna City was probably a really nice city.

If you were 80 years old and had a retirement pension.

Everything looked, felt, and sometimes smelled older than Nerevor's crusty butt, and that was saying something because that guy was _ancient._ On their way in, they passed what was probably once a magnificent statue of some Pokemon or other, the gold now mottled with rust and weathered with age over the…centuries, perhaps. The giant sign next to the pedestal sold it all, really.

"History Living," Ren read aloud, chuckling. "Damn straight."

"Anyone see a Pokemon Center?" Tabby asked. "Or a motel? Or a restaurant with air conditioning?"

"This place probably still has a running Blockbuster," Ren muttered.

"A what?"

"Long story. But don't count on anything fancy."

"We won't," Floyd said. "We'll head further into town. We need to drop off all of our bags and rest up for a little while. We've had a long morning, and a hell of a long month. After we unpack, I'll head to the Pokemon Center while the rest of you go out shopping. Sound good to everyone?"

"As long as it takes the 'back' out of 'backpack,' it's fine with me," Tabby said.

"Ugh." Ren rolled her eyes again.

"You don't appreciate my jokes?"

"I think I'd rather die, an occasion I hope to avoid for some time yet. So do stop with all of that, won't you?"

"I think someone needs a nap," Floyd said, a note of a warning in his voice.

"I think someone is undoubtedly correct," Ren fired back. "So let's stop with the chit-chat and move our legs, hm?"

The rest of the group began chatting without her pointedly as they passed the statue, which suited Ren just fine. Even Floyd pissed her off sometimes, and they agreed on 99% of everything that happened in every day life. It did give her an excuse to trot ahead of the group and get a look at the city. Perhaps in some sort of way one could find it beautiful. It was overgrown stylishly, vines and curtains of moss dangling from the rooftops and clinging to the weatherworn brick and mortar of the…stylistic buildings of the city. As she'd predicted, the city was mostly old people and old people and nothing but old people, dusty bags of bones shuffling about while walking their Skitties on a leash. A few times, Ren got hissed at. She merely flared some energy in her horn and the Skitty would squeal and dart behind its trainer's legs.

"Simple tricks," Ren grunted, shaking off some stray leaves that had fallen on her. She bounded ahead up the street, scaring away the elderly and checking out all of the new scents of the city, when she rounded the corner and nearly started crying.

A Pokemart, its blue roof completely faded away from the midwestern heat and weather, stood tall amongst the apartment buildings it lay snuggled in between. Outside of it, a girl and boy stood arguing. The girl was using her hands a lot as she talked—or…yelled—while the boy seemed hardly able to defend against her verbal assault. But both of them looked like trainers, which hopefully meant they had money or treats to throw at her. Ren fixed her face and strutted over, circling the boy's legs over and over again.

"Angie, I'm telling you, it's a bad idea!" he shouted. "I…I know you don't like it but I don't think you should go!"

"So you either think I can't handle myself because I'm not smart enough, not strong enough, or not man enough, yeah?"

"I never said that!"

Angie's tongue pressed into her cheek as she cocked her hips. Ren noted the way the boy cowered a little, as she basically towered over him, though they were both chicken wings compared to even Tabby. "You're a dick, Al."

Al stammered. "I didn't…that's not what I…"

"Whatever." She glanced down, her red hair bobbing in front of her eyes. "You've got a visitor by the way."

Al glanced down. "Oh. Um, hi, little Absol. Are you lost?"

Ren butted his leg affectionately and sat at his feet, waiting patiently.

"She wants treats, you moron," Angie said, still rather cross.

"Oh, right," Al replied meekly, reaching into his pocket. "Um…this is all I have left, and it's kind of…melted."

Ren looked at the thing in his hand. It was an undercooked, poorly made Poffin. It looked so sad, Ren almost felt bad for the Pokemon that had to eat them regularly. The look must have shown on her face, because Al seemed to be embarrassed, mumbling his apologies as he put it away.

"Ren, there you are." Ren turned around at the sound of Floyd's voice, heeling next to him and the rest of their group. "Sorry about that. She loves acting homeless to try and solicit treats from others. Hopefully she didn't bother you?"

"No, no," Angie said, the heat and anger vanishing in the presence of strangers. "Just interrupting a stupid argument. Cute Absol, though."

"Thank you," Floyd said. "You two are Pokemon Trainers, then?"

"Y-yes sir," Al said, nervously running a hand through his platinum-blond curls.

"That's right," Angie said as well. "Looking to battle?"

"That's the last thing we need," Tabby said. "No, we were wondering where the Pokemon Center is?"

Angie shrugged. "There's one not too far from here, down the road. Al and I were just headed there actually, after our little…debate. We could show you?"

"That sounds perfect," Floyd said. "Lead the way."

###

Tabby didn't really know what to make of Angie and Al, as they'd introduced themselves. Al seemed meek at the very least, extremely passive, and quiet. Not, stoic-yet-insightful quiet like Floyd, but…deathly silent. _Intimidated_ silent. From the looks of it, he was barely a legal adult, so maybe 18. Freckle-faced Angie, on the other hand, seemed a little older than he was. She was a pretty face, sure, but also seemed to have a little bit of a temper to her according to their body language after their "argument." Maybe that was where the red hair came from, that explosive temper of hers. Regardless, they were kind enough to escort them down the street and to the Pokemon Center, probably the most modern thing in town. It had been converted from the standard one story building to a tower, one of the biggest buildings around the quiet little city. There was less technology than, say, Snowpoint's Pokemon Centers, and everything felt more grounded, more…mellow. But it _did_ have air conditioning at the very least, and after traveling in this heat for the past couple of weeks, Tabby's sweat-soaked…everything got up on its knees and begged.

"Hello," said the bubbly Nurse Joy at the front desk. "Healing or checking-in?"

"Checking-in, please," Tabby said, wiping her forehead. "Two rooms for…" She glanced at Floyd, who shrugged. "For two nights initially." She and Floyd both handed over their Trainer IDs and used some of the money Nerevor and Vanessa had generously gifted them from Olivier's private accounts in Snowpoint.

"Okay, you're all set," Nurse Joy said, typing on the computer. "Your Trainer IDs will open rooms 419 and 421."

"Hey, that's close to us!" Angie said as the two of them put their IDs away.

Tabby arched an eyebrow. "You're travelers?"

"Sorta," Angie said, flipping her hand in a so-so motion. "We're…not very good at it yet. But you should come by my room some time, Tabitha!"

"Tabby, please," Tabby said. "And…sure, I guess? Why?"

"Well you guys are both definitely travelers right? I want to hear about all the stuff you've been through!"

Floyd and Tabby shared a look, causing Tabby to crack a dry smile. "No you don't, trust me. But alright. What room are you?"

"One floor down, 316," Angie said. "I'll leave the door cracked, yeah?" She winked and pulled Al into the stairway, apparently too impatient to wait for the elevators.

"Wow," Ren said.

"What just happened?" Tabby asked.

Blitz snorted and Floyd smiled. "Not even I missed that one."

Tabby glanced around her friends, more confused than a Spinda on a merry-go-round. The elevator dinged, and they rode it up to the fourth floor. They'd been given adjourning rooms, so they all walked into Tabby's room to check it out. Much more spacious than the tent, or her quarters far back in the north, Eterna's Pokemon Center rooms were lush and stocked with amenities. Crystal clear bottles of ice-cold water on the mini-fridge—which would no doubt cost a small fortune to even look at—a grand plasma TV on the entertainment center, a pullout couch with kinda-nice cushions, an AC unit that wasn't completely rusted over, and a bathroom with nice, cold tile to step on. A toilet. A shower. A _bed._

"Heaven," Tabby finished, her bag dropping with a thump to the ground off her shoulder. "I…I think I'm going to start crying," she said, sitting down and enjoying the feel of the couch on her back.

"I wouldn't blame you," Floyd said. "You won't cut my head off if I shower before I see Nurse Joy, will you?"

"I won't have to," Tabby said, closing her eyes. "Ren'll do it for me if you don't go."

"Damn straight."

Floyd chuckled and opened her door. "Enjoy the room."

"I plan on it." The door shut and Tabby melted onto the cushion, Blitz leaping up beside her and sitting at her feet. "Blitzy, I think we should feed you right now, because once I'm down, I'm gonna be down and _out._ You hungry?"

"Infernape!"

"Thought you would be," Tabby said, digging through her bag. "PokeSnax?"

Blitz nodded eagerly and Tabby undid the plastic container, letting Blitz pick one of the snacks one by one from the container, an activity he seemed to love for some reason. Tabby scratched him under the chin and stretched, eyeing the bathroom in the corner.

She'd said what she was going to do, and damn it, she was going to take a page from Floyd's book and _do it._

The showerhead hissed as blissful pressurized water smacked Tabby raw in the face and had her spitting city water onto the clean floor of the shower. After bathing in creeks and streams or wiping down with magic water, this was…paradise. She closed her eyes and looked up into the misty spray of the water, the glass door already fogging up as she scrubbed dirt and grime from the many weeks on the road that the wilderness just seemed to cake in there. She hadn't been a walking pile of dirt, but she was still mildly concerned with how much lighter she felt cleaning herself off. She half-wished there was a bath so she could fill it with water and just soak in private, but one couldn't have everything. But she'd paid for the room in full already, so Tabby gladly took her sweet time in that shower, a good thirty minutes dedicated to some sweet, sweet self-care. She dried herself and her hair all manually, wrapping up in fluffy hotel towels. Kicking her sweaty, filthy, probably-living clothes into a barren corner to deal with later, she managed to find the willpower to dress in something not so travel oriented; some athletic shorts she'd picked up in Snowpeak, and a simple tanktop to combat the heat outside.

And after all of that, there was still one more thing to do.

"Higher, Blitz, higher."

"Fernape!"

"I know, I know, but you gotta get the digit in there. _Wow_ , okay, that was way better."

Blitz' hard fingers dug into the meat of her right foot, while Tabby also massaged his right foot. She had no problem rubbing Blitz' feet, especially with the immaculate job he was doing on her. She'd touched worse things, after all.

"Feels like forever since we've gotten to sit down and chill out," Tabby mused, her toes wiggling. "Especially like this, y'know?"

"Infernape!"

"What do you think that Angie girl wants?" Blitz stared her dead in the eye, an expression a little too close to Ren's characteristic snarky look on his face. "What? _What?"_ Tabby sighed. "Oh, never mind. Hopefully she just doesn't…kill me or rob me or anything."

Blitz pointed to himself, then tapped the coffee table, then pounded his fists together.

"Oh, you'd beat her up for me, huh?" Tabby laughed. "Good boy. I knew you'd have my back."

Blitz abandoned the foot rub and lunged over to hug her, Tabby giggling as she fell back on the couch and rubbed Blitz' back. Adorably, she felt his tail coil around her leg affectionately. She'd never understood how he could control the pyre on his head, or how it never gave off smoke, but he angled it away from her face, and they enjoyed the silence and each other's company.

"Blitz?"

"Nape?"

"You know you're always gonna be my buddy, right? My best man?" She kissed his forehead. "I don't think I tell you that enough."

"Infernape!" Blitz kissed her on the cheek and Tabby giggled.

"I love you too," she said, scratching him behind the ears. Her smile faded as she remembered the poster. "What do you think the recruitment thing was about? With the Church and everything, I mean. Think we're in trouble?"

Blitz flipped backwards on the arm of the couch and did another impression. Hugging, then the flame on his head turned into a long sheet…no, hair, down to his waist, and devil horns.

"Olivier…hugging?" Blitz pointed to himself and then to her. "Us? Friends? You think Olivier had friends?" Blitz nodded. "Yeah, we kinda got that. Someone else had to gain from all of that mess up in Snowpoint, right? And I doubt she got that Plate by herself. Maybe someone had a stake in what happened to the city…or wanted it kept under watch by someone they trusted."

Blitz drew something on Tabby's chest…a sun, the symbol of the Lightborn. Then he made a wide circle in the air.

"You think…this Church-thing is connected?" It clicked. "No, you think this Church thing is a _big_ thing…regionwide?" Blitz nodded enthusiastically. "But that would make sense, wouldn't it? It's been, what, three months since Olivier died, more or less. The whole thing was publicized…beyond my wildest dreams, really. Who _wouldn't_ have seen what was going on up there? Remember all of the people we saw hiking up Route 216?"

Tabby remembered bands of people clinging to their Fire types and wading through snow up to their waists. Packs upon packs, all of them making a beeline to the north. "Something this big happens, not only do you want to read about it, you want to see it. But…but the crazy people of the world…" Tabby tapped her lips. "Maybe they saw the symbol on Olivier's Cleansers. Those things made one of her reports once or twice, right?" Blitz nodded. "It's not crazy that someone could have started a low-key cult so far south. No one would really put two and two together, they're so far away."

Tabby frustratedly ran her hand through her hair, tugging at it. Suddenly, even though she'd just gotten here, she wanted to summon some magic, take her friends, and keep moving. Just talking with Blitz about the Church made her feel like a target had been painted right between her shoulder blades.

Blitz put a hand on Tabby's knee, and she snapped back to reality, smiling. "Sorry. Worrying again." Tabby kissed Blitz on the forehead again and got up from the couch. "Why don't you take a nap, alright? I'm gonna go check and make sure Floyd went to Nurse Joy, then see this…Angie girl."

She crossed over between rooms, and saw that most of the lights were off, daylight filtering in through the open windows. Floyd's room, like her own, had a nice view of the street below them and the forest beyond the city. Ren and Onyx lay sleeping on the bed, and Tabby tiptoed past them. There _was_ one light though, and it was coming from the bathroom. The door was cracked, so Tabby knocked softly.

"Yeah?" Floyd's voice came from within.

"You go to the Nurse yet?"

"Not yet," Floyd said.

Tabby frowned. "You okay?"

"I…can you come in here?" She opened the door and stepped into the bathroom, to find Floyd staring down at the sink, unwilling to look up with his eyes shut tight. "I need help. That…that healing thing you did…could you…"

Tabby cut him off, placing her hands on his temples and sending the magic. Floyd actually sighed with relief, standing up a little straighter and seeming to breathe easier too. "How's that?" she said after a minute.

"Good. Thank you." Tabby giggled as she looked at his face, which was covered with shaving cream. "Yes, yes, laugh it up. I was in the middle of shaving when it hit me."

"Two in a row is not good at all," Tabby said. "Though I'm sure you've gotten two in a day and not told anyone."

Floyd shook his head, then winced right after. "No. This is the first time it's happened."

Tabby frowned. "Well, hopefully Joy figures out what's wrong with you. What are you doing?"

Floyd was leaning back over the mirror, tilting his head from side to side. "I told you; I'm shaving. My face itches."

"With…with that?" Tabby noticed the blade in his hand. "That looks more like a weapon than a razor."

"It's a cutthroat razor. For a nicer shave."

"What if you get one of your headaches and press that thing into your throat?"

Floyd began dragging the razor down his face. "I'll make do."

Tabby snorted. "Yes, and then give Nurse Joy even more things to worry about. Fixing your headaches _and_ stitching up your throat." She pulled his hand away from his face and took the razor. "Then you'll be hospitalized for a hot minute and we'll have no one to lead this little ragtag team of ours." Tabby hopped up in front of him and sat on the sink, now just as tall as he was to shave him properly. "Hold still."

The hairs and cream bristled and squished underneath her fingers as Tabby dragged the razor with slow, precise movements. She figured that he'd take the thing back from her, but he stayed as still as a statue as she began to take the hair from his face.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Floyd asked, his voice low.

"Sometimes," Tabby said slowly, "during a break in all of the drama…I'd clean up Nerevor's beard for him. He's good…but he's getting too old to be doing…that kind of thing."

"Aren't there magic clippers?"

Tabby shrugged. "Probably…but I think he prefers the old fashioned way." She grinned at Floyd, something electric passing between their locked gaze. "Now I see why." Floyd returned her smile, and she tilted his face the other way. "Blitz and I were talking about the Church. We came up…with some ideas, and none of them are good."

"More trouble, just what we need," Floyd said. "Maybe I'll go scouting after. See what's what around the city."

"You're just determined to do the opposite of what's good for you, aren't you?" Tabby asked. "Am I going to have to retract my opinion of you in the woods, Floyd?"

"Oh, well, we wouldn't want that," Floyd said. "But I'll add to mine."

"Add what exactly?" Tabby asked, dragging down the last part of his left side.

"Provocative."

Tabby laughed softly. "Provocative, huh? Why's that?"

"This," Floyd said, gesturing to his face. "I have perfectly fine hands. I think you just wanted an excuse to see me a little…vulnerable."

She leaned in close enough to smell the toothpaste and remnants of shaving cream, drumming her free hand on his chest. "Do you really think I'd need an excuse for that? Hush." Tabby placed a finger on his lips playfully as he began to talk, a playful gleam in those brown pools that she loved to stare into. "No more talking. This is the hardest part. I don't want to cut you."

She dragged the razor ever-so slowly up his throat, carefully, carefully, trying not to nick him in the process. Up the chin, and…

"Done," Tabby said, placing the razor on the sink. "Now isn't that better?"

Floyd chuckled as Tabby toweled away the cream. "Yes. You do good work."

"Thank you," she replied, wiping away the last of it with her finger. "Now you can go down there and look as handsome as possible for Nurse Joy."

"I've got my mind on things much more worthwhile than Nurse Joy," Floyd said. She looked him dead in the eye as the tips of his fingers tickled her outer thighs. Tabby was the first to break away from the gaze, and hopped down from the sink lest she do something…rash. All of that confidence she'd had while shaving him suddenly jumped out the window, and Tabby felt herself become more aware of what had just happened.

"Um…I'm gonna go down and see Angie now," she said, her heart thumping away in her chest. "Do try and stay on your feet until you get down there, won't you?"

"I'll do my best," Floyd said.

"Oh," Tabby said, looking over her shoulder. "Then we have nothing to worry about, do we?"

She left a smiling Floyd in the bathroom and left out of his door, grinning like damned fool and wondering what had just come over her.

And, more to the point, why it had felt so damn good.

**A/N: I've always wanted to do a shaving scene like that, and I feel like it went pretty damn well. Moreso for Tabby and Floyd, I'd say. Hoping to have an actual cover image up for the story instead of my lazy PFP from who knows how long ago. Should be up with the next update, which I'm hoping to push out this coming long weekend (yay, Labor Day!). Thanks for reading, and see you next update.**


	5. Old City, New Trends

**Chapter 3: Old City, New Trends**

"…and if you find you're still having unpleasant symptoms, we're only a phone call away," the Nurse Joy finished, putting away her equipment. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Nothing, thank you," Floyd said. "Is it alright if I sit here a moment, though? I'm feeling a little unsteady."

"Of course!" Nurse Joy said. "Take as much time as you need. Have a good rest of your stay, Mr. Floyd." She gathered the rest of her things and left with a sunny smile on her face, leaving Floyd alone under the bright fluorescents of the Pokemon Center room.

Floyd's smile vanished as the Nurse did, and he flipped through the check-up report she'd printed out for him. No signs of any health irregularities, no kind of risk for any common sicknesses or diseases…it was as though there really was nothing wrong with him at all. The only thing that seemed to have concerned the good Nurse was that he'd indicated the pain as able to bring him to his knees. That had earned him a treatment from an Audino using a powerful Refresh that left him feeling like a million dollars, but he'd come to put a lot of faith in Tabby's magic for the last couple of months. If her magic couldn't do the trick, Floyd doubted that Audino would fare any better. At best, the Pokemon had probably bought him more of a relief period between today's headaches and the next few. So far, he'd only gotten them during times of relaxation. But if it happened to him in a fight when his friends' lives were on the line…

Nurse Joy had spoken…but the rule of thumb with doctors was to always get a second opinion.

Floyd pulled his shirt up and made a few motions with his pointer finger. With a click, the fingertip popped off on its hinge, a needle sprouting from the tip instead. Floyd grabbed some alcohol from the counter, rubbed himself down, and drew some blood for analysis.

"What are we working with?" he muttered, glancing at the door. His forearm opened up on his hinge yet, and Floyd watched a string of text go across the screen.

_Initializing blood sample test…_

_Comparing new sample to (ENTER DATE)._

He paused for a moment. What month even was it back home? He'd gone missing in the…summer, perhaps? It all felt like so long ago. "Let's go back to just over a month ago. No, even better. Go back to one day after the biggest surge of Light energy."

They did what he asked, and a projection of the blood samples flickered to life above his palm. Just like Joy said, no irregularities, no…Pokemon lurking in his blood, no nothing.

So what?

"Monitor my vitals from now until the next time my rate of breath and heart rate skyrocket," Floyd ordered. "Anything irregular, let me know immediately." He closed the socket on his arm, recapped his pointer finger, and wiped the spare bit of blood away from the injection site. He didn't want to imagine what Ren would do to him if she saw him bleeding beneath his clothes. Probably wouldn't let him out of her sight. Neither would Tabby, if he was honest.

Tabby…

He smiled briefly for some odd reason, taking his leave from the room. What he wanted to do now was go up and have a nap, take it easy for as long as easy would be available. But if there was a chance they had more enemies in this so-called Church of Purification…that was worth digging around. But he couldn't very well shout into the streets and demand someone took him there. Might attract attention if the Church dealt with some shady people like Olivier. So how to about it, then?

Suddenly, Floyd felt foolish for not taking one of the location tags at the bottom. Or hell, for not taking the poster all together. He supposed he could go and get it, of course, but that would be a little bit of a journey. Not to mention he could fall prey to these damn headaches and a Nidoking could barrel out of the forest to snap him like a glowstick.

An idea struck him as he came to the main lobby of the Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy was back at her desk, humming to herself as she signed some form of paperwork or another. "Ah, Mr. Floyd," Nurse Joy said as she looked up. "You're feeling alright now?"

"I am, thank you," Floyd said. He smiled and leaned over the desk. "Could I ask you a question?" Nurse Joy looked curious, nodding slowly. "The woman I checked in with earlier today…she's…a bit of a handful, I'm afraid. I need some alone time, somewhere to…heal my soul a little. Does Eterna…?"

"You'd probably want the city church," Nurse Joy said. "Follow the signs to Cycling Road, pass the Gym, and it'll be on your left."

Floyd smiled. "Thank you." He turned to leave, then turned back again. "One more thing…could you do me a small favor? You're likely going to get a phone call before I come back. Could you tell her I've gone shopping?"

Nurse Joy gave him a coy little smile. "I'd be happy to."

Floyd smirked. "Thank you."

He turned from the counter and stepped into the daylight, setting his sights for the mossy Gym ahead.

###

A knock rang out from the door in the other room, and Angie swore under her breath as she touched up her makeup. She should've actually left the door unlocked, that would've been the smart thing to do. "Just a second!" she yelled. Just a dash of stuff here and there, nothing to obvious but enough to make herself…pop.

She checked her hair, some loose strands on her forehead and out of the long red braid that thumped against her back. The hotel light was not flattering in the slightest, but she'd gotten a little tanner instead of redder like she usually did under the stupid sun. Her jeans hugged her legs, she'd changed out of the shirt she'd bumbled around Eterna in. She looked…

Angie grinned.

She looked damn good. Al would probably trip over his feet if he saw her like this. Well, he would anyways, but moreso now.

Angie practically skipped from the bathroom, turning on a lamp and drawing the curtains a little to make it feel a little warmer. As soon as everything was set, Angie walked to the door and was relieved that Tabby was still standing there, looking a little nervous. "Hi," Tabby said.

"Hey," Angie said, her heart doing jumping jacks in her chest. Tabby had changed too, it seemed, and…well, it was making it a little hard to concentrate. "Come on in." She'd been on the road with Al for far, _far_ too long to even consider messing this one up. Hopefully her guess had been right. If not, that was fine. Tabby's friend, the tall one…he'd make a good substitute too. "I didn't actually think you'd come by."

Tabby groaned and sat down on Angie's couch, kicking off her shoes. "Me neither. My feet were killing me all day, I'm beat, and I still haven't even began to go shopping for more supplies yet."

"Sheesh, sounds rough," Angie said, turning to the mini-fridge. "You want a drink?"

Silence answered her, and Angie turned around to see Tabby squinting at her. "How old are you?" the older woman asked.

Angie laughed, pulling a bottle from the fridge. "Old enough, I promise." She sat a cushion away from Tabby, placing the bottle of wine on the coffee table. "I look young?"

"Very," Tabby said, eyeing the wine bottle. "You can't be older than…I'd say 20."

"On the nose," Angie said. "I bought that from the Mart down the street. Looked…okayish, so I figured I'd get it. But enough about me. I wanna hear about all the adventures you just got back from. Why do your feet hurt so bad? Are you from like…Hearthome? Did you cross Mount Coronet?"

Tabby chuckled. "Easy, easy. One at a time." Once again, her eyes flicked over to that wine bottle. "How about we start with something you didn't ask?"

"Which is?"

"What am I?"

That caught Angie off-guard. "Uh…okay? What are you?"

Tabby grinned and made a gesture with her hand. At the same time, the wine bottle glowed pink, and the seal was broken effortlessly. Two of the hotel glasses zipped over to the table, engulfed in the same light, and the wine bottle poured itself. All the while, that same glow hummed just behind Tabby's eyes, a gentle force radiating from her.

Angie felt her jaw crash through the couch. "You're a…you're a sorceress?"

"Sure am, though we don't really call them that we're I'm from," Tabby said with a shrug. She sniffed the wine interestedly, then took a small sip. "Magi, mages, wizards, witches…pick your poison."

Angie snapped her fingers. "So…you're from up north then?" She gasped, leaning forward. "You're from Snowpoint?!"

Tabby grinned. "Yep! And to answer your question, yeah, we crossed over Mount Coronet to get here. That's why my feet hurt. Getting from the north to the midwest ain't as easy as it looks on a map." Tabby rolled her shoulders, and Angie noticed every shift of the muscle beneath the skin. Sorceress or no, Tabby's arms weren't absolutely jacked, but they looked strong enough to be able to throw her around. "What about you?"

The question rattled around her brain, which was focused entirely on a different scenario, before it hit her a few seconds later. "Uh, what? Oh, um…Al and I just got here a few days back." Tabby arched an eyebrow as she took another sip at her glass. "We're both from Floaroma, so we had to march through the Eterna Forest to get here." She grunted and took a drink of her own. "Crossing through the forest with him clinging to my backside all day and night like that isn't fun, let me tell you."

"You don't sound like you like Al much."

Angie shrugged. "We're friends, it's just…" She groped for the words with her free hand. "Has anyone ever annoyed you to the point you just want them out of your hair for a _minute_ so you can find the strength to deal with them again?"

Tabby snorted. "Preaching to the choir on that one."

Angie grinned. "Who's it for you? Your boyfriend?"

Tabby turned a little red, and something inside of Angie shattered like glass. "He's, um…no, he's not my boyfriend. It's, uh…a mutual friend of ours."

Angie decided to press it a little. "So, this not-boyfriend of yours…I didn't catch his name."

"Floyd."

"Floyd, then. How do you two know each other?"

Tabby hesitated, trying to play it off by taking another drink from her glass. "That's…a long story," she said finally. "And we…we just met, you and I. I don't really think it's something I should be spreading around."

"Ooooh, so he's like a mystery man, huh?" Angie said. "Mys- _terious._ I like that. Well, okay. What about you? What brings Tabby the sorceress down so far south?"

Tabby shrugged, her walls still up. "Looking for something. I couldn't find it in Snowpoint. You?"

"Fame and fortune and the chance to not pick flowers for the rest of my life," Angie said with a shrug. "Not fun at all after the first million times, believe me."

"I'll take your word for it," Tabby said. "Al isn't your boyfriend either, I'm guessing?"

Angie laughed a little too loud for the question's sake. "Arceus, no! Not in a million years."

Tabby frowned a little. "What's wrong with him? He…seems like a nice guy."

"Oh, he is," Angie said, wiping her eyes. "He's also afraid of his own shadow more than Ghost types are, and he never stops getting in my way. Tries to…make your decisions for you."

"Ouch," Tabby said flatly. "So then…what were you two fighting about before we all met?"

Angie shrugged. "I want to go to this meeting tonight to try and make some quick money before we get outta here. Arceus knows we're gonna need it between here and the next Gym."

"A meeting?" Tabby asked. "What kind, like a…like a pyramid scheme type of meeting?"

"No, no." Angie frowned. "Uh…well, I don't think so, anyways. Hang on." She got up from her seat and grabbed the flier from her bed, sitting down a little closer to Tabby as she showed it to her. "This. There's an event tonight, some guy was out on the street yelling about it when we got in. I'm not even really the religious type, but they said they need more criers and influencers to "spread the word of Arceus" or whatever."

"Angie," Tabby said without looking at her. Angie could have sworn she was trying to keep her voice from trembling. "This meeting…is it invite only, or can anyone come?"

"Er…I don't know."

An idea flashed through her brain.

" _But_ if you're into that sort of thing, we could go together? You could see all the sights…uh, the ones I've seen anyways. I'll help point them out to you!"

Tabby's green eyes seemed to drill into Angie's own as she looked up from the flier. "Count on it. How about we meet downstairs in the lobby in a couple hours? I want to take a little bit of a nap before I go."

"Alright," Angie said, keeping the excitement out of her voice. "Theeeen, it's a date."

Tabby nodded and stood. "Thanks for the wine. I'll see you later."

And just like that, she was gone.

Angie couldn't get a read on her at all. Had she liked their impromptu get together that had lasted all of five minutes? Maybe she shouldn't have busted out the wine so early. It was still very light outside.

But Tabby had shown interest in that flier. Maybe her plan was working.

Angie smiled to herself and placed the flier on the table, leaning back on the couch as she sipped some more of the wine.

Who would have guessed that this "Church of Purification" was helping her to get laid?

###

Tabby nearly crashed through her door in her haste to get inside, ignoring Blitz' incensed hooting at her rush and opening the adjourning door. Ren was still passed out on the bed with Onyx, and didn't stir until Tabby stomped through the room.

"Looking for someone, are we?" Ren drawled.

"Where's Floyd?" Tabby asked.

Ren licked her paws and began to clean herself. "Dunno. Figrued you two'd be shacking up somewhere after his doctor appointment."

" _Seriously_ not a good time right now, Ren."

That caught the Absol's attention. "Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"Remember how there's a cult or something with Floyd's symbol as its keepsake? Yeah? Well, they're in the city and they're holding a general meeting tonight. That's what Angie and Al were arguing about when we met them. Al didn't want Angie to go!"

"What? Why not?" Ren asked. "Think he knows something?"

"No, it sounds like he was being smart," Tabby said. "Going somewhere based on something a random person tells you on the street can get you in deep shit in the wrong places. You haven't seen Floyd at all?"

"Not since he left to see Nurse Joy."

Tabby cursed. "Damn that man. He probably went out to scout like I told him not to."

"Well what are we supposed to do?" Ren asked. "Even if there is some cult that has his symbol as their mark, we don't know for sure that they're going to come breaking down a door once they learn we're here."

"Yeah, and that's a question we need answered," Tabby said. "Luckily, I have a perfect excuse to go to their meeting today. I'll go in, mill around for a bit and see what's what, then dip out once things get rough." She paused. _"If_ they get rough. I'm gonna call Nurse Joy and make sure Floyd didn't get kidnapped after his appointment. If he comes back and I'm gone, tell him what I'm doing, alright?"

Ren nodded. "Okay. Hope you know what you're doing."

"I don't," Tabby muttered, turning to the phone on Floyd's dresser. "That's the problem."

###

The clock struck five and the bell tower above the church sung its tinkling song of bells into the warm air of the approaching evening. Floyd sat on a stone bench and watched a small stream of people leaving the church and flood out onto the street, eager to grab a quick bite or return home for the day.

Just from looking at the church itself, something just wasn't sitting right.

It was old even by Eterna's standards, the wooden beams rotting and sagging on the roof and on the sides. It wasn't stylistically overgrown, just overgrown with plants and moss and weeds. The stained glass in the windows was intact, but faded and smudged. It was so rundown that a swarm of black bird Pokemon had congregated around the roof, flapping their wings and cawing ominously. Both the building and the grounds were in great stages of disrepair, and it almost looked like it was purposefully kept that way. Floyd watched as a middle-aged man walked from the doors after the last of the middling crowd and sat down outside on a bench, staring dejectedly at the concrete.

Maybe it was time to find out why.

Floyd got up and crossed the street to the church, trying to keep the look of suspicion from crossing his face. "Excuse me, Father."

The man blinked and looked up, his graying auburn hair swaying in the gentle Eterna breeze. "Yes, my son? What is it I can help with?"

"I'm from out of town and I was looking for a place to worship," Floyd started. "But I can't help but notice…"

The pastor sighed. "Yes, the church, I know. It's a shame, isn't it?"

"It is," Floyd said, staring up at the mass of rotting wood. "May I?"

The pastor gestured and Floyd sat down next to him. "Once upon a time it was a lovely building." He snorted. "You're from out of town? You probably get by now that everything is old here. The roads. The Pokemart. The houses, buildings, apartments. But this," he waved his hand behind them, "she outlives them all. She's been here since before we were large enough to be called a proper city." With a sigh, he tossed up his hands. "Now I have to tell the few people who actually come to service that there's a chance we won't have a proper church to sit in anymore."

"Is it scheduled for demolition?" Floyd asked.

"Not yet, but only a fool wouldn't be able to see the writing on the wall." He began to wring his hands. "The people just aren't connected with our lord Arceus anymore, not in the old ways like when I was young. Now they favor the new up and coming ways of thinking…more modern ways of praise. Which is in good faith, I suppose, but…"

"This way is more traditional?" Floyd finished.

"Yes," the pastor said. "Some of the modern religious groups that have began sprouting up are more…how do you say… _eclectic_ with how they conduct worship."

"Would one of those groups possibly be the Church of Purification?" Floyd asked.

The pastor sighed and nodded. "So you've heard of them? I would imagine you probably heard the young fellow near the western entrance to the city, or perhaps you saw one of the fliers they generously throw around the streets."

Floyd frowned. "They have a crier?"

"They do. Multiple, in fact. I didn't think anything of it at first, but when I started losing what little regulars I had left, I was afraid something awful had happened to them. But then I would see them as they passed me on the way to the church, and they'd tell me all about how they'd changed their views, their faith. It's very popular among the young and the ignorant, and unfortunately in Eterna, we have many of both, though it may not look like it."

"What makes it so different from the common faith?" Floyd asked.

The pastor shrugged. "From what I've been told, the Church of Purification believes in something more than the standard faith. They believe that instead of redemption and peace after death, that there may very well be a way to ascend, to purify one's soul and become something even greater than a human or a Pokemon. To avoid death entirely and become…something new."

"Is there?"

"Who can say? With all of the might and mystery surrounding Pokemon, we know just as much about what is possible as opposed to what is impossible. I suppose they could be talking about magic, but if you aren't born with the innate ability, it is an extremely hard thing to study, much less to put into practice." He waved off the thought. "Regardless, I lose money every year to maintain the church, and with what little followers it has left migrating to the Church of Purification, we're likely going to close for good." He rose and dusted off his robes. "So if you'll excuse me, my child, I need to go inside and clean before tomorrow's service. You're welcome to stay and sit in one of the pews if you desire."

The pastor left him alone, and Floyd thought on what he'd said.

_Ascension…_

Olivier had been a tyrant through and through before Floyd had even arrived in Snowpoint City. But something she'd said during the final battle gnawed at him after his conversation just now. What had it been?

It clicked after a few moments' thought. Right as she'd been backed into the corner, she'd turned to the innocent people fleeing for their lives.

" _Citizens…give me your souls! Your god commands it!"_

Olivier had thought herself a goddess in the very end. Even if she was drunk off of her new power, becoming a god was a pretty big step up. Though, with that Ghost Plate she'd been carrying, she probably hadn't been very far off.

Maybe the good pastor was on to something, and he didn't know it yet. Maybe the Church _was_ trying to teach people magic. Olivier had obviously gone off the rails by whoever had set her up in Snowpoint. If she and this Church were connected, maybe she had been…a test run of sorts. An experiment that had nearly made a breakthrough and failed. Olivier had been so close to achieving near-infinite power it made Floyd's skin crawl whenever he thought about how close of a battle it had been to stop her.

Forgetting about the past, Floyd got up and watched the street slowly empty itself out, save for the middling foot traffic and the beaten-down cars puttering down the roads. He hadn't only come to the church to scope it out, though he'd confirmed a few suspicions along the way. Eterna's younger residents, and possibly older, more stubborn residents as well were all flocking to the Church of Purification, leaving behind a desolated shell of the traditional customs of Sinnoh. The way the pastor had talked…it was likely this had been going on for some time. Perhaps ever since Olivier had been killed. Maybe even beforehand. There was no way to tell. He'd only been here for four months, and what little Tabby knew of the outside world had been stifled and censored up until Olivier had been defeated.

Well, Floyd was sure he was about to find out.

Just as he'd hoped, the Church sent some of their workers to do the deed of picking off more followers for their cause. At the intersection far down the street from the rotting church, a boy that was probably just as old as that Al kid was standing with an older man, flagging down the people who had just left the service, and anyone who came walking down the street with open hands. To Floyd's surprise, many of them took one, glancing at the paper with great interest as they walked off. Maybe Sinnohian culture was friendlier with random people on the street passing things off into their hands.

Floyd approached them on the sidewalk, and noticed three things as they happened all at once.

The first was that the man standing with the boy radiated a magical presence. It was very, very slight, slight enough that Floyd had to be within fifteen feet to even sense it.

The second was that while the boy might have seemed friendly, the man most certainly was not. He scowled at everyone who passed, and probably should have scared anyone off from approaching him at all. Yet everyone who did pass him reacted with the sunniest of smiles, completely relaxed. Even their Pokemon didn't seem fazed in the least by his composure.

And the third, he only noticed when he got close enough to feel that magical presence.

"Hello, sir," the boy said. "Are you interested in learning more about eternal purification? Sir?"

The boy's words fell on deaf ears as Floyd and the man he was standing with made eye contact. The skin around the man's eyes tightened. His nostrils flared.

_He knows,_ a voice hissed in his head. _He knows who we are!_

The man's hand twitched.

"Don't," Floyd warned.

"Sir?" the boy asked again.

A shockwave of energy rippled out from the man and threw Floyd twenty feet backwards end-over-end on the sidewalk, nearly flinging him out into oncoming traffic. Cars, pedestrians, and Pokemon alike all went crazy, swerving and yelping and barking and shouting as the atoms of the air itself shook. Worst of all, a headache rose up like a reaction to the trauma, taking Floyd by storm as he struggled back to his feet through the pain. The last remnants of a pink aura dissipated around the corner of the street as Floyd forced himself to remain standing.

The man was on the move. If he knew who Floyd was, then his hunch about the Church had been undoubtedly correct.

And if that was the case, Eterna was about to become much less safe for him and his friends if that man told his superiors that he was here in the city.

Floyd forced back another wave of pain as he stormed past the shocked civilians and pushed through a crowd to chase after the mystery man.

###

Far across the city, Tabby walked steadily behind Angie, every step towards their destination putting her a little more on edge. It would likely be deep in the evening when she got out of this meeting, making it easier to flee if she had to fight. Of course, she'd have to think about Angie and all of the other people who attended as well. None of them deserved to be hurt in a fight. Tabby found herself thinking of tons of battle strategies, stretching a little and becoming more alert.

She nearly smiled to herself. Floyd was rubbing off on her more than she knew.

When she saw the building the meeting was being held in though, all of the hairs on her arms seemed to straighten up. The word _danger_ flitted in her brain frantically, and she was very clearly reminded of the get up that Olivier had loved to strut about the city in.

"This is it!" Angie said proudly, her hands on her hips. "Ready?"

"Maybe," Tabby said, keeping the hesitation out of her voice. "Angie…can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"What was this building used for? Back in the day, I mean. Do you know?"

Angie frowned. "Uh…dunno. Some power company or another? It doesn't matter though. It's on the city brochure if you came through a gate. Some company or another bought it and fixed it up, but there's a public space businesses can rent. Maybe that's where the actual meeting is. C'mon!"

Tabby's hands clenched into fists, magic glimmering at the very edges of her mind.

She'd probably need it here in a few minutes.

Taking a deep breath, she followed Angie into the community center, noting the faded sign on the outside of the property as she did so.

_Te…Gala…terna…Building_

_W…want you…Po_ _kemon!_

**A/N: And that's a wrap! Just on time too. Chapter's a little on the shorter side for this one, but that's okay considering what I have planned. For anyone reading on AO3, this story has art now, but I don't think this site allows cover art. If you follow this[link](https://www.deviantart.com/cmar8787/art/Purified-Land-of-Origin-Cover-Art-854486310?ga_submit_new=10%3A1599510534&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1), it'll take you to the new cover art. Thanks, and I'll see you next update.**


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